These four musicians belong to The 27 Club. Can you match the biography with its photo?
The 27 Club graffiti is a mural that was painted by the Israeli graffiti crew, Kis-Lev, on the sidewall of a large building in Tel Aviv, Israel in September 2014. The artwork is 3 m high by 7 m wide, and depicts seven artists from the "27 Club". The mural has received much criticism. By Jonathan Kis-Lev, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/i
Have you ever heard of this group of people?
In popular culture, The 27 Club is a group of musicians, artists, actors and athletes who have died at age 27, often as a result of drug and alcohol abuse, or violent means such as homicide, suicide, or transportation-related accidents. The deaths of several 27-year-old famous musicians between 1969 and 1971 led to the belief that deaths are more common at this age. However, statistical studies have failed to find any unusual pattern of musician deaths at this age, comparing it to equally small increases at ages 25 and 32. A 2011 BMJ (British Medical Journal) study noted instead that young adult musicians have a higher death rate than the rest of the young adult population, concluding that "Fame may increase the risk of death among musicians, but this risk is not limited to age 27”
Read this text and comment on it in class. * Robert Peter Williams is an English singer-songwriter and entertainer. Williams has reportedly battled mental illness, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life. His friend Elton John booked him into a clinic to cope with his drug use that emerged from a depression. Often, what makes an artist great is the fact that they're born with exceptional sensitivity. So, some of them worry that medical treatment would stifle their creativity or make their output less attractive. This feeling also makes them less able to handle the pressures of not knowing where their next income will come from, and the demands of being always at the height of fame. Does this mean that you have to suffer for your art? There is a particular morbid fascination in watching an artist crash and burn, but the reality for the sufferer is that depression is so debilitating that it's impossible to create anything at all. It's only when you emerge from a period of illness that you can look at the darkness and find the words to describe it. So maybe the key to being a great artist and songwriter with a long and happy life is to dare to go to those dark places – but don't make them your home. Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/dec/17/musicians-depression
Leader of The Doors. He/She developed an active addiction to alcohol in the 60s. There’s no official cause of the death; the only thing we know is that he/she had heart failure.
British soul and jazz singer. He/She won many Grammys and his/her most famous song, ironically, was named Rehab. He/She died of alcohol poisoning.
He/She is considered one of the greatest exponents of the grunge genre. He/She always suffered from depression; that is why he/she developed a drug addiction and committed suicide.
He/She was one of the most famous rock-stars of his/her era. He/She used to sing rock, blues, and soul. He/She died of a drug overdose.
